


Something Missing

by Thorki Pitch Hitter (gamerwoman3d)



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-10-09 15:51:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17409776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gamerwoman3d/pseuds/Thorki%20Pitch%20Hitter
Summary: I was not the Thorki Secret Santa for this user - I came in as a pitch-hitter after the original secret santa for spacerenegades dropped out.I have not been able to contact spacerenegades, and am unsure if the spacerenegades account is connected to the crinklefries account.<--Problem Solved!Either way, merry belated thorkmas!~gw3d





	Something Missing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [spacerenegades](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=spacerenegades), [crinklefries](https://archiveofourown.org/users/crinklefries/gifts).



Something Missing

Loki awoke to the blurred vision of his brother in the morning sunlight. The gold light streamed into the window of their tiny Midgardian apartment. Thor sat with an empty cup. He peered at the horizon through the glass of the 3rd story window. The window overlooked the strange Midgardian bay city. The sun itself was invisible save for the orange-gold lining its presence granted the heavy pink and purple clouds and its streaked orange reflection on the undulating surface of the sea.

Morning light lit the underside of curved arches, shone white upon the sails of the ships in the harbor, struck the verdant holly wreaths and pink rusted metal awnings of the little bay city. Loki knew he had overslept; the Bifrost was to have closed before sunrise, to be used only by the Allfather until the stroke of midnight passed for all of Midgard.

"Thor," Loki started, "why didn't you wake me?"

Thor startled, alert.

"I apologize, brother! I could not think to wake you," Thor said, "I... spaced out, as they say here on Midgard."

"You picked a terrible time to space out," Loki grumbled.

"I know, we're stuck here today," Thor said.

He held up his empty cup by way of apology.

"We're out of coffee," he continued, "I tried the shop across the street, but they have it shuttered for their holy day."

"No coffee... That explains why you spaced out," Loki muttered, "but peace. In light of this, it's probably best that you didn't wake me. Let's get you some coffee."

Loki threw on a t-shirt and a scarf, his fur-collared coat over his plaid pajama bottoms. He stuffed his lanky feet into fuzzy socks, then into dress shoes.

"But the shop is closed today," Thor said.

"Kit's Cafe will be open today. They have good coffee."

"How do you know Kit's is-"

"Because Kit is an atheist. And who can blame him with gods that won't even function without their coffee. C'mon," Loki said.

He tossed a purple scarf around Thor's neck as Thor slipped on his boots. Thor grabbed his coat on the way out the door.

"Must you wear the one with the elbows worn through? It can't possibly keep you warm. It's freezing outside," Loki said.

"It'll do," Thor said.

They descended the stairs as the sun rose above the top of the purple thunderheads. Snowbirds gathered around the bell shaped bird feeder near the outdoor seating of the cafe. The cold metal benches and chairs remained unoccupied. The "Open" sign hung on the glass door, marked "Kit's Urban Cafe" in gold stencil. The brass bell tinkled as Loki pushed the door and stepped inside.

The toasty air within comforted Loki. The electronic music had barely changed from his visits in the previous years. Kit himself could be heard speaking over the sizzle in the kitchen. A worker in a black tee marked Kit's stood behind the register and greeted Loki.

"Can I get a creme brulee, whatever this big oaf wants, and six homefree coffees?" Loki asked.

The worker nodded and punched his order into the register with a smile.

"What are homefree coffees?" Thor asked.

"Oh," the worker said, "those are pre-payments for extra hot drinks that we give to the needy."

Thor beamed, hugged his brother and mussed his hair.

"Aw, look at you! I'm so proud! Who knew you could be the sweet nice softy," Thor said.

"Thor. I want coffee. They can't bring me the coffee until you order yours," Loki grumbled.

"Oh, right, uh, I don’t know, whatever is good here, uh, what was the other thing you said, what did Loki get? I'll have one, too!" Thor said.

"Alright, two creme brulees, one extra creme double-topped and any special instructions for yours?"

"Plain," Loki interrupted flatly, "he'll have it plain."

Loki paid for the drinks. The worker handed him a tall, thin, golden cardholder with the number 4. Loki took the holder and sat it at the edge of a table in the corner by the window. Thor joined him, and they stared out the glass. Across the way, in the window of a darkened gift shop, a row of snowglobes sat unpurchased. By the next day, these would be in a clearance bin. Loki said as much.

"That's a sad, thought," Thor said, "Christmas is such a happy time on Midgard! I don't want to think of them boxing up potential sweet memories and treating them like some unwanted burden. Oh! There's an idea! Could we play some Christmas music?"

Loki's core froze in place. His bottom eyelids fluttered up as his blue eyes rolled to the back of his head. He heard Kit sigh from the kitchen.

"Maybe we should play some Christmas music," Kit conceded.

The sound system went silent. Holiday music filled the air. The worker brought a pair of lidded cups to the brothers. He nudged Loki and mouthed don't worry about it. Then, a man-shaped bundle of rags entered the cafe, shambled to the counter, and politely asked if the workers had a chance to make any homefree coffee this morning. The worker beamed and gave the man his own golden cardholder, marked 5. Thor smiled, and reached across to caress Loki's dour face, to show Loki how proud Thor was to call Loki his own.

The bundle of rags sat down closest to the furnace vent, and drew back his hood. He pulled off his mismatched gloves and worked the heat back into his fingers while his gloves soaked up the vented furnace heat. One cheerful holiday song ended. And as the notes of the next began, the stranger's face turned downward. His jaw tensed with the return of some unkind holiday memory. Perhaps of a lost loved one, or a loved one's lost love, who could say. But there was something missing, something fundamental gone for this man, something that everyone who found enjoyment of the holidays possessed, but not him, and not now. The man looked at the worker, who capped the lid on his drink. The man grimaced and sighed, and wound his fingers back inside his gloves. He accepted the coffee in his gloved hands with a smile, and genuine gratitude. He pulled his hood back over his head, and left. Loki sighed as well.

"What's wrong," Thor asked.

"Nothing, really," Loki said, "Just enjoy today. We won't see Midgard on Christmas very often!"

"It's true! I wonder if it will snow? I hear a white Christmas on Midgard is the best kind!" Thor said.

"Well, not if you're in Australia, that would be cataclysmic," Loki said.

"Well we're not in Australia," Thor said, "Look, there! Stormclouds. My kind of sky. It could very well snow a foot today!"

"For the sake of that gentlemen that just left, I hope not," Loki said.

Before Thor could ask, the worker brought the pair a set of lidded cups. Loki sipped his cooly. Thor jerked away from his as the hot liquid touched his lips.

"Wow, it's hot, it’s good, they do know how to make a coffee!" Thor said, “Ugh, it’s hot.”

"Take the lid off and blow on it," Loki recommended.

Thor did that. Loki sipped his again, and stared at the way the sunbeams played in Thor's unbrushed hair. A messy halo of gold began to form around Thor's scalp as the unruly strands of hair wove themselves through the sunshine.

"How are you able to sip yours, it's so hot!" Thor pouted.

"They topped mine with frosted whipped cream," Loki gloated.

Thor paused, looked at his cup, looked at Loki. His eyes narrowed at the points Loki won in their unspoken competition over who lived their best life at that moment. The corner of Loki's lip rose in satisfaction at his brother's tiny loss. Loki held eye contact with Thor, made him watch the cup press to his pink lips as he sipped the creme in this micro-victory. He hummed, licked the bit of white cream from his lip, and told Thor how tasty it was with double-topped extra creme.

"I hope dad fills your socks with coal, you rotten brother," Thor muttered.

"And I hope he fills yours with switches when he finds out you made me absent for Mother's brunch!" Loki said.

"You could have woken yourself up," Thor argued.

Outside, the bundle of rags peered into the giftshop at the forgotten snow globes. He was joined by a second bundle of rags, wearing an eyepatch.

"You'll freeze to death if you stay out here like this," Odin, in rags, said to the man.

"I'll be alright," he replied, "they just, they're normally not like that, but they were playing ... They had a sad song on in there. I can't be in there. Reminds me of my kid. That idiot."

Odin chuckled.

"My sons," Odin said, "hey can be kind, and they can be idiotic at times."

"Yeah, well, everyone's like that," the bundle said.

"Smoke?"

Odin offered him a cigarette.

"Aw, hell yeah," the man said.

He took the cigarette, accepted Odin's lighter fire, and took a deep drag. He pointed back over his shoulder towards Kit's.

"Have you tried Kit's coffee?" he asked.

"Can't say that I have," Odin replied.

"They're the best in town. And they have free coffee in there right now, if you want it. They serve hot cocoa too... For free. Just like the coffee," he said, "normally it's a really good place to warm up."

"I'm sure it's great coffee, but I know better places to warm up," Odin said.

"Oh yeah? Where? Everything's closed up today," the man said.

Odin gestured to the snow globes.

"Pick one," he said.

"Pick one?"

"Yeah. They all have different places. Pick the one you like the best," Odin said.

The bundle of rags took a deep breath. He felt he should have known the old man was a little crazy, but what the hell. He looked at the globes, but kept an eye on Odin the entire time, paranoid that the old man might be setting him up for some attack and trying to distract him with the globes. He pointed at a snowglobe. Inside the globe, a model of a white-roofed A-Frame house with a red brick chimney set among three clay pine trees.

"That one," he said, "that one's the best. Looks most like a home. The others look like they're going in the dumpster, honestly. I mean, who would want a Hawaii beach snowglobe? Hah! Look at that thing! They've got a blizzard, and a bucket of snow on friggin' palm trees in there. What sense does that make? And the little drunken Santa Claus with his pants down? Nobody wants Santa Claus to moon them all through the holidays! What was this marketing team thinking?"

Odin laughed along with him. Then Odin's face grew serious.

"Listen, I know the music deterred you from staying in and getting warm. And in a way I feel like that's my fault," Odin said.

"Pssht, why, it's not like you walked into the only atheist's coffee shop on Christmas Day when all the Christian coffee shops are closed to say Hey guys play some Christmas music! I'm sure the rest of the heathen world and everyone else out trying to avoid their families won't mind at all!" he mocked.

"Well, no, I didn't do that, I never said I did that," Odin said.

"Anyway old man, thanks for the cigarette and the chat. But you're absolutely right. I do need to go find a place to warm up, and fast! It's getting chilly out here. You should take care of yourself, too," he said.

The man started to walk off. Odin stopped him.

"No wait," Odin said, "I know this will be awkward, but I have a small ask of you."

The bundle of rags sighed.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"A hug," Odin said, "I think you need one, same as I do."

The man thought about it. The old eyepatched man might stab him. But then again, he himself might freeze to death that day, rather than walk back into the coffee shop and deal with the memories of his broken past. It might be the last hug, the last smile he's ever offered. Screw it, why not take the risk, he thought. He turned to the old man with open arms. Odin hugged him with a mischievous grin.

"Okay Heimdall, you know what to do," Odin said.

The man screamed as rainbow light surrounded them both and gravity turned in on itself. Loki and Thor turned toward the sound just in time to see the glint of the rainbow bridge close in their peripheral vision. Only the spilled coffee cup remained. Loki’s tense shoulders went slack.  
“He didn’t even get to drink his coffee, first,” Loki said.

Thor scrunched his face, stood, and took his brother by the hand, and pulled him towards the door. He left the steaming cup on the table.

The man in rags had the wind knocked out of him as he landed in a snowbank in the backyard of a snow-covered A-Frame house with smoke billowing from its red brick chimney. The pile of rags jerked, looked around confused, thought he must be dead. An object fell on his head, and he grabbed it reflexively. He looked in his gloved hand to see a brass key, on a keyring, with an ornament that looked like the snowglobe he’d pointed at, only with the words "Welcome Home" scrawled on it's base in gold letters that matched the font used in Kit's Cafe.

"What the hell?" he said.

He climbed the porch step to the house. He knocked on the door. No one answered. He figured if the police came for him, at least they could take him to a nice warm mental institution,, with doctors that understood what could cause hallucinations of falling through spacetime surrounded by rainbow light. So, he tried the handle. The door was locked. The keys jingled in his hand. A note on the door said "Welcome Home." It matched the lettering on the keyring and the front glass door of Kit's Cafe. He tried the key. It unlocked the door. He walked inside.

The home was warm, and simple. A small staircase lead to the upstairs loft, where a cozy quilted bed stood visible. He walked under the loft, into the kitchen. As he approached the kitchen sink, a large, soft, white pair of asscheeks pressed against the window over the faucet. The man jumped back, then noticed the ass was framed by the fur-trimmed red suit of a mall santa.

...Except the mall santa wore an eyepatch and carried a tankard of some indeterminate but very strong liquor.

Odin laughed at the man and came inside.

"Okay, I'm either dead or hallucinating," the man said.

"You're doing neither," Odin said, "this house is my gift, to you. The title and deed are pinned to the fridge with a magnet. You can go get the papers filed on your own time. Today is a very busy day for me, and I've spent far too much time this morning on this issue."

"But... why me? I mean like... So many other people deserve a home and they don't have one. And I promise they're more worthy of it than me."

"Yes, you're right, and I've no time to argue even if you were wrong. But the fact is, it's my idiot children that drove you out into the cold today. My idiot children, who should have been back to Asg- I mean, back home right now, whose failure to be considerate of others, put the burden of the cold on you tonight. And it would have killed you. I could not have that. Just know I usually don't get involved with the affairs of mortals, but you, I know, can keep a secret," Odin said, adding, "You've kept them all your life."

"So, there's really a Santa, and really a God?" the bundle of rags said.

"Do you believe that?" Odin said.

"No, I don't," the man said.

"Splendid! Don't start now. Just be here. Be warm. And don't tell anyone what happened. I can't be expected to do this for everyone. I'm already behind schedule," Odin said.

He walked out into the snow and disappeared in a beam of rainbow lights. The man shut the door, took the deed from its place on the fridge, curled up by the fire, and laughed at himself.

"Someone just gave me a house, and I'm sittin' here, still wishing I had my coffee," he said, "You should have saved this gift for someone who could stop to appreciate it, Santa-man!"

A lidded coffee with the Kit’s logo appeared out of nowhere on the plinth of the fireplace where the man sat. 

Outside the A-Frame home, Loki, still in pajama bottoms, wiggled his fingers. Thor shivered at Loki’s side. The holes worn in the elbows of his coat rendered it useless.

"Okay, we can go now, right?" Thor asked.

"Yes, brother-love, we can go," Loki said.

"You're not mad at me, are you?" Thor asked.

Loki kissed him on the cheek, sweetly.

"Nonsense. I'm very proud to be with you. As much as it grated on my nerves, it was cute that you wanted to enjoy your Christmas music. It was as innocent as it was inconsiderate. I love you in your innocence and I love you in your guilt. And I love that you're willing to freeze your ass off to make sure this poor soul gets the coffee I wanted him to have today."

"We totally threw Dad off schedule, didn't we?" Thor said.

"That's Dad's problem," Loki said.

"It's your problem, now," Odin's voice said.

A huge sack of toys knocked Loki over into the snow. Thor caught a second sack of gifts.

"Are you asking us for help, Father?" Thor said.

"I don't have to ask," Odin's voice said.

“But it’s cold, I didn’t get to drink my hot coffee, and I just wanna go back to the warm apartment and snuggle,” Thor whined.

Odin didn’t answer. Loki sighed, dusted the snow off himself, and hoisted the toys onto his shoulder.

"C'mon, Brother. Let’s get this over with before you bury us both in another foot of snow. The faster we finish, the faster we can get a warm lunch at Kit's. I'm already starving," Loki said.

The truth was that the unspoken promise of a warm snuggle with Thor had motivated Loki to finish their task swiftly. Their task was the same as Odin’s; to match their collected gifts to the people that had something missing.

**Author's Note:**

> I was not the Thorki Secret Santa for this user - I came in as a pitch-hitter after the original secret santa for spacerenegades dropped out. ~~I have not been able to contact spacerenegades, and am unsure if the spacerenegades account is connected to the crinklefries account.~~ <\--Problem Solved!
> 
> Either way, merry belated thorkmas!  
> ~gw3d


End file.
